ONTD_P Let's Make a Difference

12:18 pm - 08/02/2010

Many people in this community have expressed an interest in being active politically or through volunteering in their community. Yet, there are quite a few of us who just aren't sure where to start. This list is meant to be living a resource for any member or viewer of ontd_political with an interest in doing something meaningful. There is a link to this post on the info page of ontd_political so you can always come back and make suggestions for updates.

Community Development

AmericorpsAmeriCorps is an opportunity to make a big difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. It’s a chance to apply your skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community. Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. Whether your service makes a community safer, gives a child a second chance, or helps protect the environment, you’ll be getting things done through AmeriCorps!AmeriCorps members address critical needs in communities all across America. As an AmeriCorps member, you can: • Tutor and mentor disadvantaged youth • Fight illiteracy • Improve health services • Build affordable housing • Teach computer skills • Clean parks and streams • Manage or operate after-school programs • Help communities respond to disasters • Build organizational capacity

Center for Neighborhood TechnologySince 1978, Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) has been a leader in promoting urban sustainability—the more effective use of existing resources and community assets to improve the health of natural systems and the wealth of people, today and in the future.CNT is a creative think-and-do tank that combines rigorous research with effective solutions. CNT works across disciplines and issues, including transportation and community development, energy, natural resources, and climate change.

Organizing for AmericaOrganizing for America, the successor organization to Obama for America, is building on the movement that elected President Obama by empowering communities across the country to bring about our agenda of change.In 2008, millions of Americans got involved in the political process — many for the first time — to fight for a new kind of politics and a better future for our country. Those voices enabled a new beginning — a chance to pursue the real world change our country needs. Now it's time for our movement to rise again, stand with President Obama, and make that promise a reality.There are many ways to get involved: • Joining grassroots OFA campaigns to support the President's agenda. Online, on the phone, on doorsteps and in town halls in communities across the country, we're building the bottom-up support that makes real change possible.• Spreading the word to friends and neighbors about the President's approach on the big issues facing our nation, like health care, energy and education. Nothing is more powerful than your voice in your community.• Serving our community in ways big and small. Rebuilding America starts today.• Connecting with other supporters to form strong local groups, ready to take on whatever challenges we face.• Supporting leaders who share our values and are ready to carry forward the fight for change .Our task is enormous. To succeed, we'll need all Americans, no matter how they may have voted, to join us in the work ahead. If we set aside the old politics that have kept us apart, there's no limit to what we can achieve.Together, we can create a sustainable and independent clean energy economy. We can provide all American children the first rate education they deserve. And we can finally guarantee high-quality, affordable health care to every American man, woman and child.Last November, the American people sent Washington a clear mandate for change. But when the polls close, the true work of citizenship begins. That's what Organizing for America is all about. Now, in this crucial time, our voice once again has extraordinary power. Let's use it.

Peace CorpsThe Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then Senator John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. From that inspiration grew an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship.

Since that time, nearly 200,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in 139 host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation.Volunteers of AmericaVolunteers of America is a movement organized to reach and uplift all people and bring them to the knowledge and active service of God. Volunteers of America, illustrating the presence of God through all that we do, serves people and communities in need and creates opportunities for people to experience the joy of serving others. Volunteers of America measures its success in positive change in the lives of individuals and communities we serve.

Economic Justice

Campaign for Labor RightsIt is the mission of the Campaign for Labor Rights (CLR) to mobilize grassroots support throughout the United States to promote economic and social justice by campaigning to end labor rights violations around the world. CLR educates about, and advocates against, the underlying causes of the global sweatshop. Its campaign strategies are designed in collaboration with workers struggling to gain the right to organize, the right to earn a living wage in a clean, safe work environment, and the right to bargain collectively with their bosses. Through these campaigns CLR’s goal is to empower workers.

Global ExchangeWe envision a people centered globalization that values the rights of workers and the health of the planet; that prioritizes international collaboration as central to ensuring peace; and that aims to create a local, green economy designed to embrace the diversity of our communities. In a world where the economics of quantity fuels corporate power and political greed, the elite are reaping profits while working people and the planet are left to pay the price. In response to the global degradation caused by this system of elite globalization, Global Exchange envisions an alternative economics of quality centered upon protecting international human rights to ensure that the cost of globalization does not come at the expense of us all.

Green AmericaOur mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.

Friends of EarthFriends of the Earth and our network of grassroots groups in 77 countries defend the environment and champion a more healthy and just world. We're progressive environmental advocates who pull no punches and speak sometimes uncomfortable truths to power. It's an approach that for four decades has yielded victories protecting our planet and its people.Our current campaigns focus on clean energy and solutions to global warming, protecting people from toxic and new, potentially harmful technologies, and promoting smarter, low-pollution transportation alternatives.

The Humane SocietyThe Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has worked since 1954 to promote the protection of all animals. With nearly ten million members and constituents, The HSUS is the nation's largest and most powerful animal protection organization, working in the United States and abroad to defend the interests of animals. We celebrate the human-animal bond, and we fight animal cruelty and abuse in all of its forms.

Rainforest Action Network (RAN)Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is headquartered in San Francisco, California with offices staff in Tokyo, Japan, and Edmonton, Canada, plus thousands of volunteer scientists, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens around the world. We believe that a sustainable world can be created in our lifetime, and that aggressive action must be taken immediately to leave a safe and secure world for our children. Dubbed “some of the most savvy environmental agitators in the business” by the Wall Street Journal, RAN uses hard-hitting markets campaigns to align the policies of multinational corporations with widespread public support for environmental protection. We believe that logging ancient forests for copy paper or destroying an endangered ecosystem for a week’s worth of oil is not just destructive, but outdated and unnecessary.Market ActivismOur corporate campaigns seek to push companies to balance profits with principles, to show that it is possible to do well by doing good. We publicly applaud and support political and corporate leaders who show strong leadership and innovation in advancing sustainability. Sadly, many companies require more motivation. Our campaigns leverage public opinion and consumer pressure to turn the public stigma of environmental destruction into a business nightmare for any American company that refuses to adopt responsible environmental policies. But much more needs to be done. For our society to truly break its oil and coal addictions, protect endangered forests, and promote human rights and sustainable finance, everyone must get involved. Please join us.

Science for CitizensScienceForCitizens.net will bring together the millions of citizen scientists in the world; the thousands of potential projects offered by researchers, organizations, and companies; and the resources, products, and services that enable citizens to pursue and enjoy these activities. We aim to: • Enable and encourage people to learn about, participate in, and contribute to science through both informal recreational activities and formal research efforts. • Inspire greater appreciation and promote a better understanding of science and technology among the general public. • Create a shared space where scientists can talk with citizens interested in working on or learning about their research projects. • Satisfy the popular urge to tinker, build, and explore by making it simple and fun for people—singles, parents, grandparents, kids—to jump in and get their hands dirty with science.

350.org350.org is an international campaign that's building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis--the solutions that science and justice demand.Our mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.Our focus is on the number 350--as in parts per million CO2. If we can't get below that, scientists say, the damage we're already seeing from global warming will continue and accelerate. But 350 is more than a number--it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.

Health

Health Connect OneHealthConnect One (HC One), formerly Chicago Health Connection, is a nationally recognized nonprofit training and technical assistance agency that uses innovative, community-based approaches to support direct-service providers in promoting the health of mothers, infants, and families. The organization trains community health workers, develops community-based initiatives, and mobilizes diverse stakeholders to build for policies and programs that improve maternal and child health.

Since 1986, HC One has trained thousands of parents, community health workers and direct service providers to promote breastfeeding, provide pregnancy and birthing support, and prevent infant mortality, with significant documented results. In addition, HC One assists organizations in developing and implementing innovative, research-based initiatives that directly impact health disparities, including breastfeeding peer counselor and community-based doula programs.

The American Red CrossThe American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.

The Arc of the United StatesThe Arc of the United States works through education, research and advocacy to improve the quality of life for children and adults with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families and works to prevent both the causes and effects of mental retardation.

Project HealthFounded in the Boston Medical Center Pediatrics Department in 1996, Project HEALTH's approach is simple but effective: We enable doctors to "prescribe" food, fuel assistance, housing, or other resources for their patients, just as they do medication. Patients take these prescriptions to our Family Help Desks in clinic waiting rooms, where our college volunteers "fill" them by connecting patients with these critical resources.

Labor

AFL-CIOThe American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a voluntary federation of 56 national and international labor unions. The AFL-CIO was created in 1955 by the merger of the AFL and the CIO.The AFL-CIO union movement represents 11.5 million members, including 3 million members in Working America, its community affiliate. We are teachers and miners, firefighters and farm workers, bakers and engineers, pilots and public employees, doctors and nurses, painters and plumbers—and more.

California Nurses AssociationFounded in 1903, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee/AFL-CIO is a premiere organization of registered nurses and one of the nation’s fastest growing labor and professional organizations in the U.S. with more than 86,000 members in hospitals, clinics and home health agencies in all 50 states. In the past 15 years, CNA/NNOC has grown by nearly 400 percent. CNA/NNOC is also a founding member of the 150,000-member National Nurses United, which in 2009 united CNA/NNOC, the United American Nurses, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association to create the largest union and professional association of nurses in U.S. history.CNA/NNOC has attracted national renown as a leading advocate of guaranteed healthcare by expanding and updating Medicare to cover all Americans, for negotiating many of the best collective bargaining contracts for RNs in the nation, and for sponsorship of innovative legislation and regulatory protections for patients and nurses.

Jobs with JusticeJobs with Justice engages workers and allies in campaigns to win justice in workplaces and in communities where working families live. JwJ was founded in 1987 with the vision of lifting up workers’ rights struggles as part of a larger campaign for economic and social justice. We believe in long-term multi-issue coalition building , grassroots base-building and organizing and strategic militant action as the foundation for building a grassroots movement, and we believe that by engaging a broad community of allies, we can win bigger victories. We reach working people through the organizations that represent them—unions, congregations, community organizations—and directly as JwJ activists. Nearly 100,000 people have signed the Jobs with Justice pledge to Be There at least five times a year for someone else’s struggle as well as their own.In more than 40 cities in 25 states across the country, we are building coalitions of labor, religious, student and community organizations that are committed to each other for the long haul. Our campaigns make a difference for workers facing hostile bosses, knowing they are not alone in their struggle. At JwJ, solidarity is a two-way street: when communities come out for unions, they can expect unions to come out for them. Union victories are crucial, but they are not enough. We must maintain a strong commitment that our coalitions will weigh in on community fights. In 2009, local coalitions worked on a total of 111 workplace justice campaigns affecting more than 135,000 workers. Jobs with Justice coalitions supported approximately 46,000 workers in 56 organizing and first contract campaigns, and helped more than 10,000 workers at 17 workplaces win union recognition or first union contracts. Jobs with Justice coalitions worked on 130 community campaigns on issues like health care, immigrants’ rights, global justice, accountable development, state minimum wage increases, and sweat-free ordinances. JwJ coalitions were the primary coordinators for 70% of these campaigns.

Service Employees International UnionSEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America. Focused on uniting workers in three sectors to improve their lives and the services they provide, SEIU is:• The largest healthcare union, with more than 1.1 million members in the field, including nurses, LPNs, doctors, lab technicians, nursing home workers, and home care workers• The largest property services union, with 225,000 members in the building cleaning and security industries, including janitors, security officers, superintendents, maintenance workers, window cleaners, and doormen and women• The second largest public services union, with more than 1 million local and state government workers, public school employees, bus drivers, and child care providers

Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE)UNITE HERE represents workers throughout the U.S. and Canada who work in the hospitality, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, laundry, and airport industries.UNITE HERE boasts a diverse membership, comprising workers from many immigrant communities as well as high percentages of African-American, Latino, and Asian-American workers. The majority of UNITE HERE members are women.Through organizing, UNITE HERE members have made apparel jobs in the South, hotel housekeeping jobs in cities across North America, and hundreds of thousands of other traditionally low-wage jobs into good, family-sustaining, middle class jobs.

United Farm WorkersFounded in 1962 by Cesar Chavez, the United Farm Workers of America is the nation's first successful and largest farm workers union currently active in 10 states. The UFW continues to organize in major agricultural industries across the nation. Recent years have witnessed dozens of key UFW union contract victories, among them the largest strawberry, rose, winery and mushroom firms in California and the nation. 75 percent of California's mushroom industry is now under union contract. In 2007, the United Farm Workers signed its first contract with Salinas, Calif.-based D'Arrigo Bros., California's third-largest vegetable company. The agreement covers 1,800 farm workers in the Salinas and Imperial valleys. The UFW signed a contract, also in 2007, with Three Mile Canyon Farms, America's largest dairy-and the first major union contract protecting farm workers in Oregon. They soon signed up another nearby dairy, Willow Creek. Many recent UFW-sponsored laws and regulations aide farm workers; in California, the first state regulation in the U.S. prevents further heat deaths of farm workers. The UFW is also pushing its historic bipartisan and broadly backed AgJobs immigration reform bill.

Peace

Catholic Worker MovementThe Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous[1] communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ."[2] One of its guiding principles is hospitality towards those on the margin of society, based on the principles of communitarianism and personalism. To this end, the Catholic Worker movement claims over 185 local Catholic Worker communities providing social services.[3] Each house has a different mission, going about the work of social justice in their own ways, suited to their local region. Catholic Worker houses are not official organs of the Roman Catholic Church and their activities, inspired by Day's example, may be more or less overtly religious in tone and inspiration depending on the particular institution. The movement campaigns for nonviolence and is active in opposing both war and the unequal distribution of wealth globally. Dorothy Day also founded The Catholic Worker newspaper, still published by the two Catholic Worker houses in New York City and sold for a penny a copy.

Green PeaceGreenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace by:• Catalysing an energy revolution to address the number one threat facing our planet: climate change.• Defending our oceans by challenging wasteful and destructive fishing, and creating a global network of marine reserves.• Protecting the world's ancient forests and the animals, plants and people that depend on them.• Working for disarmament and peace by tackling the causes of conflict and calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons.• Creating a toxic free future with safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals in today's products and manufacturing.• Campaigning for sustainable agriculture by rejecting genetically engineered organisms, protecting biodiversity and encouraging socially responsible farming.Greenpeace is present in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific.To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments or corporations but relies on contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants.Greenpeace has been campaigning against environmental degradation since 1971 when a small boat of volunteers and journalists sailed into Amchitka, an area north of Alaska where the US Government was conducting underground nuclear tests. This tradition of 'bearing witness' in a non-violent manner continues today, and our ships are an important part of all our campaign work.

Political

Unite Against Facism (UK Specific)As a matter of the greatest urgency, we are calling for the broadest unity against the alarming rise in racism and fascism in Britain today.Over the last decade, racism and Islamophobia in society have grown. As a result, we have seen an increase in racist violence and attacks on multiculturalism. This has culminated in the rise of far right and fascist organisations, in particular the British National Party (BNP).We believe that these dangers require a strong and united response from all those dedicated to freedom and democracy. We must combine our forces and unite in a broad and common front against this common threat.

Poverty

Feeding AmericaThe nation’s largest charitable hunger relief organization. Feeding America supports a network of 206 food banks in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Before September 2008, Feeding America was named America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network.

National Coalition for the HomelessThe National Coalition for the Homeless works to bring about the systemic changes necessary to prevent and end homelessness and to protect the rights of people experiencing homelessness by engaging in policy advocacy.

ONEONE is a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Cofounded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African policy makers and activists.At ONE, we achieve change through advocacy. We hold world leaders to account for the commitments they've made to fight extreme poverty, and we campaign for better development policies, more effective aid and trade reform. We also support greater democracy, accountability and transparency to ensure policies to beat poverty are implemented effectively.

United Nations Children's FundUNICEF produces educational materials and distributes funds to children's programs throughout the world. Their annual The State of the World's Children provides useful statistics.

Social Justice

American Friends Service CommitteeThe American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Our work is based on the principles of the Religious Society of Friends, the belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.In collaboration with local communities and neighborhoods, AFSC’s programs foster understanding and reconciliation, promote economic development and food security, educate the public on issues such as nuclear disarmament and the realities of military service, and people take charge of their own destinies.

Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all.

Our supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world - so we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity.

We have more than 2.8 million members and supporters in more than 150 countries and regions and we coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.

Center for Third World OrganizingThe Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO) is a racial-justice organization dedicated to building a social-justice movement led by people of color. We prioritize the role of grassroots organizations and individual community members in engaging our communities to achieve racial justice. Over its 30-year history, CTWO has trained thousands of organizers and future leaders while directly building the campaign and leadership capacity of hundreds of community-based organizations.

Native American Rights FundThe Native American Rights Fund (NARF) is a non-profit 501c(3) organization that provides legal representation and technical assistance to Indian tribes, organizations and individuals nationwide - a constituency that often lacks access to the justice system. NARF focuses on applying existing laws and treaties to guarantee that national and state governments live up to their legal obligations.

National Urban LeagueThe mission of the Urban League Movement is to help African Americans attain social and economic equality. The fundamental objective of the National Urban League is to enable those who are striving toward the mainstream to achieve economic self-reliance and to enjoy their rights as equal citizens under the law.

Points of LightThe Foundation's mission is to engage more people more effectively in volunteer community service to help solve serious social problems.

United WayUnited Way is a worldwide network in 45 countries and territories, including nearly 1,300 local organizations in the U.S. It advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all, by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health. The United Way movement creates long lasting community change by addressing the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress in these areas. LIVE UNITED is a call to action for everyone to become a part of the change.

Women

INCITE! Women of Color Against ViolenceINCITE! works with groups of women of color and their communities to develop political projects that address the multiple forms of violence women of color experience in our lives, on our bodies, and in our communities. We identify "violence against women of color" as a combination of "violence directed at communities," such as police violence, war, and colonialism, and "violence within communities," such as rape and domestic violence. Chapters and affiliates engage in strategies and projects that address both personal and state violence, acknowledging the ways that oppressions intersect in the lives of women of color. Some of those projects include producing a women of color radio show, challenging the non-profitization of antiviolence and other social justice movements, organizing rallies on street harassment, training women of color on self-defense, organizing mothers on welfare, building and running a grassroots clinic, supporting communities to engage in community accountability strategies, and much more.

National Organization for Women (NOW)The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since its founding in 1966, NOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society.

WitnessWITNESS is an international human rights organization that provides training and support to local groups to use video in their human rights advocacy campaigns. Beyond providing video cameras and editing equipment, WITNESS is committed to facilitating exposure for our partners' issues on a global scale. We help broker relationships with international media outlets, government officials, policymakers, activists, and the general public so that once a video is made, it can be used as a tool to advocate for change.

Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)WEDO’s mission is to empower women as decision makers to achieve economic, social and gender justice, a healthy, peaceful planet, and human rights for all.Through programmatic initiatives on climate change, corporate accountability, UN reform, and women’s political participation and leadership, WEDO emphasizes gender equality and women’s critical role in social, economic and political spheres.

Youth

Big Brothers Big SistersWe help children realize their potential and build their futures. We nurture children and strengthen communities. And we couldn’t do any of it without you.

Books for KeepsBooks for Keeps is a network of people around the US giving books - for keeps - to kids in Athens GA. Why Athens? We have one of the worst poverty rates in the nation and it's taking a toll on our kids. Why Books? Kids who own books do better in school and are more likely to graduate.

Boy Scouts of AmericaIt is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping to instill values in young people and in other ways prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their potential.

Campfire USAIt is the mission of Camp Fire Boys and Girls to build on the strength of their councils to positively impact the development of children and youth through community-based youth development programs. This organization also strives to expand Camp Fire nationwide to serve increased audiences through contemporary programs and new markets.

Children's Defense FundThe Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for 35 years to ensure a level playing field for all children. We champion policies and programs that lift children out of poverty; protect them from abuse and neglect; and ensure their access to health care, quality education and a moral and spiritual foundation. Supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations, CDF advocates nationwide on behalf of children to ensure children are always a priority.We are a national organization with the capacity to work for children at federal, state and community levels across the country. We have our headquarters in Washington, D.C., and offices in California, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New York, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. Through these offices, we expand our work into North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas and New Jersey. CDF Haley Farm in Clinton, Tenn., is our home for spiritual renewal, character and leadership development, intergenerational mentoring, and interracial and interfaith dialog about children's issues..

Girl Scouts of AmericaGirl Scouts of the USA is dedicated to inspiring girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism and service. Membership is extended to all girls who accept the Girl Scout Promise and Law. To reflect the diversity of the United States of America, this organization gives the highest priority to the inclusion of girls from currently underrepresented populations.

Junior AchievementJunior Achievement will ensure that every child in America has a fundamental understanding of the free enterprise system.

March of DimesThe mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality.

National 4-H Council4-H has grown into a community of 6 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H can be found in every county in every state, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and over 80 countries around the world. The 4-H community also includes 3,500 staff, 518,000 volunteers and 60 million alumni. 4-H'ers participate in fun, hands-on learning activities, supported by the latest research of land-grant universities, that are focused on three areas called Mission Mandates: • Science, Engineering and Technology• Healthy Living• CitizenshipThe 106 land-grant universities across the country deliver research driven programs through Extension agents in each of the more than 3,000 counties. The 4-H leadership builds on the strength of our state and local professionals in partnership with the National 4-H Headquarters.

Share Our Strength: Operation FrontlineWe weave together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children facing hunger and surround them with nutritious food where they live, learn and play. We work with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®, Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale®, Share Our Strength’s A Tasteful Pursuit®, Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out™, and Share Our Strength’s Operation FrontlineNearly 17 million— almost one in four—children in America face hunger. These children will endure lifelong consequences as a result of having limited access to nutritious foods. In fact, they’re more likely to suffer poorer health, fatigue, hospitalizations, behavioral difficulties and impaired performance at school.Despite the good efforts of governments, private-sector institutions and everyday Americans, millions of our children still don’t have daily access to the nutritious meals they need to live active, healthy lives.

Political Parties

America First PartyThe central focus of the America First Party is to put America and all Americans First. We will elect candidates who will restore morality, ethics, and common sense to public service. We will return our Constitution to its proper place in our Republic.

The America Patriot PartyThe American Patriot Party Platform maintains that its Platform is to: "Protect, defend and implement the intents set forth in the Originating Founders Letters which includes "The Absolute Rights of the Colonists of 1772" and the Declaration of Independence, the documents which define Freedom" This Platform may be amended as needed through the literal understanding of these documents that define and establish freedom and a free country. Its Motto: "Inalienable Rights, States Rights, Local Control"Note that the Constitution's sole purpose is to limit the Federal Government. The Constitution does not grant us rights, rights are God given natural birth rights as established by the intents written by the founding fathers of freedom and the Declaration of Independence:

"If men through fear, fraud or mistake, should in terms renounce and give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the great end of society, would absolutely vacate such renunciation; the right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of Man to alienate this gift, and voluntarily become a slave."Samuel Adams, Rights of the Colonists, 1772

Communist Party of the United States of AmericaFounded in 1919, the Communist Party USA has championed the struggles for democracy, labor rights, women’s equality, racial justice and peace for ninety years. The Communist Party has an unparalleled history in the progressive movement of the United States

Democratic PartyFor more than 200 years, the Democratic Party has represented the interests of working families, fighting for equal opportunities and justice for all Americans.Today, Democrats continue that fight with a firm commitment to the values that we all share as Americans: secure the nation, end the war in Iraq responsibly, and restore our moral standing in the world; free ourselves from the tyranny of oil once and for all; restore the Constitution and protect the civil rights and liberties of all Americans.

Independence Party of AmericaIt is time we send a new political prototype into the White House — a true non-partisan Independent. Someone who has led a successful life in the private or non-profit sector, away from Washington, and can drive the type of innovation needed to repair its broken systems and regain the faith of the People.The Independence Party of America will offer a ‘third way’ to professionally manage the federal government. As America’s largest third party organization of political independents — with more than 350,000 members in our home state alone and growing daily — we intend to bring INDEPENDENCE to the national forefront. We intend to change the DEBATE in Washington and offer a viable alternative to the two-party duopoly. And we hope to recruit America’s increasingly apathetic electorate with a plan and a mission to offer a REAL alternative to the major party candidates.

Modern Whig PartyEstablished in 1833, the Whigs are one of America's oldest mainstream political parties. We were the original party of Abraham Lincoln and four other U.S. Presidents.Revived by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, this grassroots movement has quickly attracted thousands of new members. We represent moderate voters from all walks of life who cherry-pick between traditional Republican and Democratic ideals in what has been called the Modern Whig Philosophy. This Washington DC-based national movement values common sense, rational solutions ahead of ideology and partisan bickering.This includes general principles of fiscal responsibility, strong national defense and educational/scientific advancement.

Peace and Freedom Party (California Specific)The Peace and Freedom Party is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality. We represent the working class, those without capital in a capitalist society. We organize toward a world where cooperation replaces competition, a world where all people are well fed, clothed and housed; where all women and men have equal status; where all individuals may freely endeavor to fulfill their own talents and desires; a world of freedom and peace where every community retains its cultural integrity and lives with all others in harmony.

Party for Socialism and LiberationThe Party for Socialism and Liberation is a newly formed working class party of leaders and activists from many different struggles, founded to promote the movement for revolutionary change. Capitalism—the system in which all wealth and power is held by a tiny group of billionaires and their state—is the source of the main problems confronting humanity today: imperialist war, poverty, exploitation, layoffs, unemployment, racism, sexism, lesbian/gay/bi/trans oppression, environmental destruction, mass imprisonment, unionbusting, and more.We are fighting for socialism, a system where the wealth of society belongs to those who produce it, the working class, and is used in a planned and sustainable way for the benefit of all. In place of greed, domination and exploitation, we stand for solidarity, friendship and cooperation between all peoples.

Progressive Labor PartyParty (PLP) fights to smash capitalism -- wage slavery. While the bosses and their mouthpieces claim "communism is dead:" capitalism is the real failure for billions all over the world. Capitalism returned to the Soviet Union and China because socialism failed to wipe out many aspects of the profit system, like wages and division of labor.

Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA)The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA, generally known simply as the Reform Party) is a political party in the United States, founded in 1996 by Ross Perot. Perot said Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics—as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital issues—and desired a viable alternative to the Republican and Democratic Parties. The party has nominated centrist candidates like Ross Perot, conservatives like Pat Buchanan, and liberals like Ralph Nader.The party's biggest victory came when Jesse Ventura was elected governor of Minnesota in 1998. Since then, the party has been fraught with infighting.

Socialist Equality PartyThe Socialist Equality Party is a political party of and for the working class. The SEP seeks not to reform capitalism, but to create a socialist, democratic and egalitarian society through the establishment of a workers’ government and the revolutionary transformation of world economy. We seek to unify workers in the United States and internationally in the common struggle for socialism—that is, for equality and the rational and democratic utilization of the wealth of the planet.

Republican PartyIt all started with people who opposed slavery. They were common, everyday people who bristled at the notion that men had any right to oppress their fellow man. In the early 1850’s, these anti-slavery activists found commonality with rugged individuals looking to settle in western lands, free of government charges. “Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men,” went the slogan. And it was thus in joint opposition to human enslavement and government tyranny that an enterprising people gave birth to the Republican Party.

Republicans believe individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home. These basic principles are as true today as they were when the Party was founded. For all of the extraordinary leaders the Party has produced throughout its rich history, Republicans understand that everyday people in all 50 states and territories remain the heart and soul of our Party.

Socialist Party USATHE SOCIALIST PARTY strives to establish a radical democracy that places people's lives under their own control - a non-racist, classless, feminist socialist society... where working people own and control the means of production and distribution through democratically-controlled public agencies; where full employment is realized for everyone who wants to work; where workers have the right to form unions freely, and to strike and engage in other forms of job actions; and where the production of society is used for the benefit of all humanity, not for the private profit of a few. We believe socialism and democracy are one and indivisible. The working class is in a key and central position to fight back against the ruling capitalist class and its power. The working class is the major force worldwide that can lead the way to a socialist future - to a real radical democracy from below. The Socialist Party fights for progressive changes compatible with a socialist future. We support militant working class struggles and electoral action, independent of the capitalist controlled two-party system, to present socialist alternatives. We strive for democratic revolutions - radical and fundamental changes in the structure and quality of economic, political, and personal relations - to abolish the power now exercised by the few who control great wealth and the government. The Socialist Party is a democratic, multi-tendency organization, with structure and practices visible and accessible to all members.

Unity Party of AmericaAll people are entitled to equal rights and equal representation. The Unity Party understands that citizens in all 50 states and territories are at the core of our republic. The Unity Party represents the interests of small business owners, working families, and military service members, and fights for the equality and justice of all Americans. We want a government that works for, and not against, the American people. We're fighting for you - concerned citizens.

Idealist.orgA site listing volunteer opportunities, NGO and Government jobs, internships, materials, programs, events, and campaigns. If you are looking for a way to volunteer in your area but you don't yet have a specific cause in mind this website is a valuable resource.

Opportunity KnocksOpportunity Knocks is a job listing service for employers and job seekers in the nonprofit sector.

Volunteer MatchVolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 73,000 nonprofit organizations.

The Activist's Handbook: A primer for the 1990s and beyond, Randy Shaw.After Alinsky: Community organizing in Illinois, Peg KnoepfleThe Careless Society: Community and its Counterfeits, John McKnight.Community Impact: Creating grass roots change, William Berkowitz.Community Organizing and Development, Herbert and Irene RubinFreedom, Justice, and Hope: Toward a strategy for the poor and the oppressed. Marvin Olasky et al.Generation React: Activism for Beginners, Danny SeoGoing Local: Creating self-reliant communities in a global age, Michael ShumanNeither Urban Jungle nor Urban Village: women, families, and community development (Sara Stoutland).Organizing for Social Change: A manual for activists in the 1990s, Kim Bobo, et alRestorers of Hope: Reaching the poor in your community with church-based ministries that work, Amy Sherman.Restoring At-Risk Communities: doing it together and doing it right, John Perkins, editor.Reveille for Radicals Saul AlinskyRoots to Power: A manual for grassroots organizing, Lee StaplesRules for Radicals Saul AlinskySocial Innovation in the City: New enterprises for community development. Richard Rosenbloom, Robin Marris.Streets of Hope: The fall and rise of an urban neighborhood, Peter Medoff, Holly SklarSustainable Community Development: Principles and concepts.Taking Back our Neighborhoods: Building communities that work, Mary Wachter, Cynthia TinsleyThe Triumphs of Joseph: How today's community healers are reviving our streets and neighborhoods. Robert L. Woodson, Sr.A Time to Heal: John Perkins

NOTES:- The list of political parties is incomplete since it was taken from Wikipedia. If you are a member of an unlisted political party and would like it added just leave a comment. - The author of this page makes no claim to be familiar with each and every one of these political parties and organizations. If you have personal knowledge of any of these groups please share by putting the name of the group in the title of the comment. - This page is meant to be updated. If you find any resources that you feel would be relevant and helpful please make a comment and it will be added.

Unite Against Fascism is a non-profit organisation to counteract fascism in the U.K. We aim to be a voice against the BNP/EDL at every turn - from the village with a population of 30 where they set up a table, to the National BNP Conference. Although the BNP may have lost out on this years election, it is important that we keep standing together against them.

The UAF is absolutely no-platform. You don't need to join the UAF to come along to demo's and help, and if you ever have trouble getting to a particular protest, I urge you to get in contact with us as often there's either free or cheap transport available.